John Conrad B. Maisog(center), a pupil of Cagayan de Oro’s East City Central School, grabbed the First Runner Up trophy (Physical Science: Individual Category) in the recently concluded 10th National Science Quiz held in Baguio City with his Investigative Project – “Buzzer from Discarded Flourescent Ballasts”. ECCS Principal Mr. Celso L. Pagulon (left), together with the kid’s father Mr. Segundino Maisog, Jr. (2nd from left), and coach Ms. Loreta S. Pabualan (2nd from right) presented the kid again before City Mayor Vicente Y. Emano to express their gratitude for the financial assistance the mayor provided their team during the event.

City Hall will soon implement a web-based application called the InfoBoard which will allow particular offices or departments to instantly communicate with its constituents in Cagayan de Oro City.

The InfoBoard is a communication solution made possible through the city’s partnership with Smart Philippines. It is currently being effectively used by Ateneo de Manila to keep their students informed in real time about important school activities and updates.

Mr. Laurence Dadua of Smart Philippines conducted an orientation last February 18, 2013 with some City Hall personnel, headed by Assistant City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Officer Eng’r. Armen Cuenca, regarding the InfoBoard and its uses for the city.

The InfoBoard requires however that its users use Smart or Talk n Text SIM cards in order to enjoy the 30,000 allocation of free messages per month. Messages sent to non-Smart users will be billed P0.70.

Among its obvious uses is as an early warning communication tool for the people of the 80 barangays in the city in case of emergencies such as incoming typhoons, possible flooding, or any disaster for that matter. With the InfoBoard, the 80 barangay captains can receive timely text messages through their cellphones from the City Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Office (as content provider) giving them updates and specific instructions, all at no expense to the city or its subscribers.

Aside from the CDRRMO, the City Information Office, the City Council, and other key offices may be tapped as additional content providers.

A total of 135 students, all enjoying the City College Scholarship Program, who are currently studying in various colleges and universities within Cagayan de Oro came to visit the Mayor during the flagraising ceremony, February 18, 2013, to thank him for his support and his scholarship program which successfully saw them through their college courses. These 135 students, 24 of them possible cum laudes, 1 magna cum laude, and 1 with honors, will graduate this year.

City Mayor Vicente “Dongkoy” Y. Emano chatted with the officers of the Zone 5 Scions Landless Neighborhood Association and the Westbound Terminal Laborers Association right after administering their oaths, February 13, 2013 at the City Hall during Monday’s flagraising ceremony.

City Mayor Vicente “Dongkoy” Y. Emano, together with DSWD’s Daisy Ramos (3rd from right, representing Regional Director Araceli S. Solamillo), Habitat for Humanity’s Bernadette Reyes (2nd from right, representing Toots Escalada), and Gawad Kalinga’s Toots Besinga, gives a Certificate of Award to a Sendong survivor-sharer during a turnover ceremony held at the City Tourism Hall last February 15, 2013. A total of 181 Sharers and Renters were given certificates of awards to their new homes in Calaanan/Canitoan.

City Mayor Vicente Y. Emano chatted off with some of the couples who came to avail of the free civil wedding offered by the city government. The mayor officiated a mass wedding in which 88 couples participated during the People to People Program which also coincided with Kauswagan’s ‘Barangay Day’ – February 14, 2013. Besides the usual fare of free basic services, a total of 2,077 PhilHealth cards were also distributed to Kauswagan residents.

Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas turned over the rest of the 2,077 PhilHealth cards to Kauswagan Brgy Captain Pedro Balite (left) after a few were ceremonially distributed to the residents during the People to People Program held in Kauswagan. February 14, 2013 also happened to be Kauswagan’s Barangay Day. Besides the 88 couples who availed of the free mass wedding, the residents also received veterinary (inset), medical, dental, and other free services.

More than 500 participants attended the Livelihood Skills Training orientation held at the City Tourism Hall, February 13, 2013. The 3 sectors consisting of Women (Daycare parents), Persons With Disabilities, and Youth were federated by the CSWD for this purpose and in accord with the goals of the Social Services Committee chaired by Councilor Nadya Emano-Elipe (left).

President Elipe understood the need to equip the regular ‘kabus’ citizen with skills he can use to make a living.

Councilor Annie Daba, as Women and Family Relations Committee chair, encourages women to learn skills, even including such skills as welding, for possible employment wherever it is in demand.

Atty. Leon Du M. Gan, Jr., previous City Administrator, is still actively serving the city by being at the Mayor’s side wherever and whenever his expertise is required. Here, he informs the participants that the city offers assistance to its citizens in many forms, one of which is this skills training program.

Councilor Alden Bacal acknowledged the big part the TESDA instructors have in molding new skills in the participants of this program. He encouraged the participants to see the program through to its completion as a new skill is never a bad thing.

Urban and Rural Poor Committee Chair Councilor Alexander Dacer assures that the city government has on its focus the arming of the poor with education and skills to give them a fair chance at helping themselves rise from poverty.

City Councilor Adrian Barba also took time to grace the event and delivered some inspiring words to the participants.

Councilor Emmanuel Abejuela excused himself for a few minutes from the on-going council session to give some inspiring words to the women, the PWDs and the youth who are just embarking on a training that promises to make them even more productive in life.

Inday Dahino gives her piece about learning new skills with income augmentation in mind.

Gil Banaag is a man with many talents. On top of being a lawyer, he’s a CPA, and also has a certificate on massage therapy and other skill sets.

Atty. Maya Enteria urged the women, the physically-challenged, and the out-of-school youths, to take advantage of the training programs offered by the government that aims to give them a chance to acquire skills that would give them an edge in income generation.

CSWD Chief Nena Salon opened the event with welcoming words to the 3 sectors which were federated for the first time and with a skills training just for them to start them off into productivity.

While the newly-weds get congratulated by their sponsors (city councilors and brgy officials), City Mayor Vicente “Dongkoy” Y. Emano signs the marriage certificates during the People to People Program activity held last February 12, 2013 at Brgy. Besigan. Residents enjoyed all the free services offered by the program especially the veterinary, medical and dental services as well as the free packets of food given out. CIOPHOTO

177 CdeO Youths Takes ‘Cash for Training’ Program

City Mayor Vicente “Donkoy” Y. Emano (center) and TESDA Regional Operation Division Chief Mr. John Simborios (right) present a ceremonial certificate to one of the 177 beneficiary youths of CdeO who are currently undergoing training in various TESDA vocational courses with a view of possible employment or self-employment thereafter. This TESDA-DSWD joint Cash for Training Program benefits a total of 4,695 youths in Region 10, with 1,577 coming from Misamis Oriental.

City Mayor Vicente “Dongkoy” Y. Emano poses with DSWD Assistant Regional Director Santa Purita (8th from right) and TESDA Regional Operation Division Chief Mr. John Simborios (6th from right) together with some of the 177 Cagayan de Oro youth beneficiaries of the TESDA-DSWD joint Cash for Training Program. These beneficiaries will undergo training in various vocational courses complete with allowances and training toolkits for self-employment. The project was funded by the P93M which DSWD’s Chief Dinky Soliman allocated for Region 10 last December 2012.

Each beneficiary is trained in one of the following courses:

Driving NC2

Commercial Cooking

Shielded Metal Arc Weilding

Bartending

Automotive Servicing

Housekeeping

Food and Beverage Services

Food Processing

Computer Hardware Servicing

Motorcycle and Small Engine Servicing

Electrical Installation and Maintenance

Plumbing NC2

Training Strategies:

On-site training

School-supervised training

Training conducted with NGO partners

The trainees are mostly out-of-school youths between 18 to 30 years old and/or youths made illegible under the expanded government internship program of the DSWD.